Coke oven door handling apparatus



Nov. 27, 1951 Filed July 21, 1945 WITNESSES:

P. H. LAVELY COKE OVEN DOOR HANDLING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATrw-wm INVENTOR 046M464)" Z,W

m i'ORNEY P. H. LAVELY COKE OVEN DOOR HANDLING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 27, 1951 Filed July 21, 1945 WITNESSES:

Nov. 27, 1951 P. H. LAVELY COKE OVEN DOOR HANDLING APPARATUS 6 SheetsSheet 5 Filed July 21, 1945 INVENTOR H904. vfoavfizo L a VEL 1 BY ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

P. H. LAVELY COKE OVEN DOOR HANDLING APPARATUS Nov. 27, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 21, 1945 1 4,) PUM- INVENTOR R904. fioweo Len EAT.

WITNESSES:

W ATTORNEY P. H. LAVELY COKE OVEN DOOR HANDLING APPARATUS Nov. 27, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 21, 1945 INVENTOR Raul. MfDLflI/EL'K WITNESSES:

)ISATTORNEY Nov. 27, 1951 P. H. LAVELY 2,576,126

COKE OVEN DOOR HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 21, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 E 1 J85 2 g. 1

INVENTOR. (:9: Pa 01. (aha/n20 [:9 54 f ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 com: OVEN noon HANDLING APPARATUS Paul Howard Lavely, Pittsburgh, Pa... assignor to Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application July 21, 1945, Serial No. 606,422

This invention relates to coke oven door latching apparatus. More particularly the invention relates to an apparatus for positively looking a self-sealing coke oven door in operative position at the end of a horizontal coke oven.

In my Patent No. 2,335,866 issued December 7, 1943 is illustrated and described apparatus constructed and arranged to manipulate coke oven doors to lock them in position at the end of a coke oven frame and to withdraw the door for removing coke. This apparatus is arranged to travel along the front of a battery of byproduct coke ovens, to unlatch the self-sealing doors from each end of an oven, to firmly grasp the door and withdraw it from the front of the oven and swing the door rearwardly and upwardly into a position where it may be carried away from the oven to allow coke to be removed from the oven with a pushing mechanism. After the coke has been removed the apparatus may be positioned in front of the oven, the door swung back into position in the door frame, the latches inserted between the frame and the door and then manipulated to lock the door in closed sealed position.

In the operation of a coke oven battery the doors often get out of alinement or become warped, or go out of proper shape. As a consequence, the relative position of the latching apparatus for each of the doors with reference to the door frames may vary. Sometimes this variation is sufilciently large so that with a latching apparatus, such as illustrated in my Patents 2,335,866 and 2,335,867, it is quite difiicult to properly seal such a door in the door frame.

The door latching mechanisms illustrated and described in my Patents 2,335,866 and 2,335,867 are operated with and by the movement and operation of the door head manipulating mechanism. For example the latch locking operation is carried out as the door head mechanism is moved away from the door. Therefore the pressure with which the door is held in position in the door frame by the door head handling mechanism is relieved and withdrawn at the time that the latches are being oscillated to seal the door against the frame. Accordingly a large force may be required to move the latches into locking position. It has been found to be very advantageous to employ the door head mechanism for positively holding a door in sealing position in the frame while the latches are being moved into locking position.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a door sealing mechanism for positively sealing an oven door in a frame that is operative 9 Claims. (Cl. 21H) 2 independently of the door handling mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door sealing mechanism which will independently seal a door in a frame while the door handling mechanism is exerting a pressure to hold the door in position in the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door sealing mechanism which will position a door in an oven frame so that the door will be sealed in the frame with a definite sealing pressure irrespective of variations of alinement and condition of different doors.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a door sealing mechanism which will utilize a predetermined pressure or force for sealing a door in its frame regardless of automatic variations in the fit or alinement of the door and the frame.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the coke oven door sealing mechanism hereinafter illustrated and described and particularly defined in the appended claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation with parts in section illustrating a door handling and sealing apparatus embodying the preferred form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a detail view in side elevation of the door sealing mechanism;

Figure 3 is an end view in elevation of the door. sealing mechanism illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating the ap plication of the door to an oven frame and the latch for locking the door in the frame;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic mechanism for operating the door sealing mechanism;

Figure 6 is an end view of a door handling car showing the mounting of the door handling mechanism and the hydraulic door sealing mechanism on the car; 7

Figure 7 is a partial side view of the hydraulic operating mechanism on the door handling car shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a perspective detail view of the door locking latch; and

Figure 9 is a detail view of the control valve for operating the door sealing mechanism.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a hydraulic control valve in the hydraulic. system for locking and unlocking a coke oven door.

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view of the hydraulic control valve taken on the line XI-XI of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of a hydraulic. bypass valve used in the hydraulic system for controlling the door locking and unlockin mechanism; and

Figure 13 is a vertical sectional view of the bypass valve taken on the line XIII-9x111 of Figure 12.

The coke oven door head handling mechanism and the car'for supporting this mechanism has substantially the same construction and method of operation as that described in my Patent 2,335,866 and reference is made to this patent for detailed description of this apparatus. The trolley-operated car for supporting the door handling mechanism is illustrated more particularly in Figures 6 and 7. This car I8 has wheels I2 mounted on tracks I4 that are positioned in front of both ends of a battery of horizontal coke ovens whereby the car which is motor-operated from an electric overhead trolley may move to and fro in front of the battery for the purpose of handling the doors which close the ends of the horizontal coke ovens.

The door head mechanism I5 (Figures 1, 6 and 7) is mounted upon a carriage I6 (Figures 1 and 6) which is carried by wheels 18 arranged to move across a track 28 arranged transversely of the car I8.

The door head operating mechanism I5 is rigidly mounted on the carriage I6 and is supported upon a mast 22 which is secured at its bottom to the carriage I6. A door gripping member 24 is movably mounted on a column 26 which is supported by the mast structure 22.

The lower end of the column 26 is supported ina bearing 28 attached to the mast 22 and the upper end of the column is rotatably mounted in a bearing 38 supported by a platform 32 mounted on the top of the mast structure. The column 26 has a threaded central portion 84 which passes through an internally threaded nut 36 which is mounted within a housing 88 formed on the portion of the gripping member 24 which surrounds the column 26. As the screw 84 is rotated the nut 36 will be raised and lowered in accordance with the direction of rotation of the column to raise or lower the door gripping member 24. The column 26 is rotated by means of a motor 40 which is coupled with a worm drive 42 located within a housing 44. The motor drive shaft operates gears 46 to in turn operate a limiting switch in housing 48.

A pair of hooks 58 (Figures 1 and 6) are formed on the front face of the door gripping member 24 which are arranged to project through openings 52 formed in the turtleback of a coke oven door 54. When the door gripping member 24 is raised with the hooks within the openings 52 the hooks will come into engagement with the tops of the openings and act to lift the door within or off the door frame. Within and adjacent the top and bottom of the door gripping member 24 are mounted a pair of door buffer members which are illustrated more particularly in Figures 1 and 4. These buffer members consist of plungers 56 which are slidably mounted in guides 58 and 68 mounted within the member 24. Compression springs 62 surround the plungers 56 and are held between collars 64 and guides 58. The plungers 56 are secured in a head 66 in which are mounted a pair of rollers 68. When the door gripping member is moved up into position to grip a door the rollers 68 bear against cam faces III on the face of a door 54 and the springs 62 are compressed until the head 66 en- 4 gages the face ofthe member 24 at which time the door is firmly pressed against a frame 12 surrounding the oven opening.

The door head mechanism is moved in a longitudinal path to bring the door gripping member into and out of engagement with an oven door .by means of a motor 14 (Figure l) which is mounted on a platform I8 of the car I8. The

motor 14 drives an eccentric lever 18 to operate a link 88 which is connected with a lever 88 rotatably mounted on a platform 18. The lower end of the lever 88 is connected by means of a yieldable link 88 with an axle 82 mounted in the mast '22. Rotation of the motor acts through its drive mechanism to move the carriage I6 so as to place the door head mechanism mounted on the carriage into engagement with a door, the buffer members first engaging the door to press it against the door frame and the yieldable link 88 acting to provide for diflerent settings of the door frame with reference to the carriage I6 and different shapes and conditions of the doors. The carriage I6 is movably mounted on the car l8 and is moved back and forth relatively to the car I8 toward a coke oven doorby the motor 14 and connecting mechanism 86, 88 and 88 which is fixed on the car platform. Around the inner face of the door (Figure 4) is positioned a flexible plate 84 having a contacting edge 88 arranged to contact a seat on the door frame. The contact edge 86 is yieldably pressed toward the door frame by meansof springpressed plungers 88. When the door is moved into the frame the contact edge 86 engages the face of the frame and the plungers yield in order to hold the contact edge in sealing contact with the door frame to provide for misalinement, warping or improper shape of the door.

With the construction just described it will be seen that when the door is moved into position against the door frame by the door head mechanism it is brought up solidly against the frame with a predetermined pressure based upon the compression of the spring in the flexible link 88 and the strength of the springs of the plungers 88. The door is held in this position while it is being locked and unlocked in the frame.

The door is locked in sealing position by means of sealing latches I88, one of which is shown in perspective in Figure 8. Although two latches are used in sealing a door. as illustrated in Figure 1, it is apparent that if the door is small, one

latch may be used for sealing the door and, in some cases, three or more latches may be used for sealing the door. The latches consist of a bar I82 and a cam lever I84. When the door is locked in the frame the ends of the bar I82 rest in sockets I88 (Figure 4) which are mounted on the frame at each side of the door, one pair of sockets being provided for each latch. At 'the same time a cam face I88 on the latch lever engages a block II8 (Figure 1) secured to the front face of the door. In locked position the latch levers I84 are held in the position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2.

At the time that the door gripping member is brought into contact with the door a pair of gripping jaws II2 mounted at each side of the buffer head 66 (Figures 1 and 4) are moved into position to embrace the latch bar I82 as shown in Figure l. Thereafter the latch lever I84 may be moved into unlocking position and when the door is vertically lifted by operation of the column shaft 84 to raise the door head mechanism, the latches will be lifted out of the sockets I88 to release the door from the frame. At the same time 'that the door head mechanism is raised to remove the door latches from the frame sockets the hooks 50 on the door gripping member are raised to their uppermost position to obtain a locking grip on the door. The driving mechanism for the column 34 preferably has a limiting switch to control the upward movement of the door head gripping mechanism whereby the latches are lifted out of their sockets, the door gripping member moves into locking position on the door and the door is lifted a slight distance in order to release it from its seat on the frame and from the coke bed within the coke oven. When the door has been raised to this position the motor 14 for driving the carriage I6 may be put into operation to move the door head mechanism rearwardly from the coke oven so that the door may be moved to a position to permit the coke to be pushed out of the oven. When the carriage has moved rearwardly to the full extent of the movement as controlled by the eccentric lever 18 the column 34 may be rotated to lift the door head member 24 and swing it back over the carriage I6 to hold the door in a position for traveling along the battery.

At the time the door is lifted a roller II4 (Figure 1) mounted on a mast 22 engages a cam face I I6 (Figure l) which swings the door head member with the door thereon through an arc of 90 degrees to place the door over the car ID.

The mechanism for locking the doors in and unlocking the doors from sealing position in the oven door frame, constitutes an important feature of the present invention. This apparatus is illustrated more particularly in Figures 1. 2 and 3.

The door sealing mechanism positively moves the locking latches into and out of locking position and it is operated independently of the means for operating the door head handling mechanism. The door sealing mechanism consists of a pushing cylinder II8 (see Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5) for positively moving the latch levers into and out of locking position and a cylinder I20 for positioning a pushing jaw I22 for engaging the lever I04 for its movement by the cylinder II8. Cylinder H8 is bolted on the inside of the casing of the door gripping member 24, there being a cylinder I I8 for operating each of the locking latches I00. A plunger I24 (Figure 2) is secured to a piston within the cylinder H8 and has a pivotal connection I26 at its outer end with the pushing jaw I22. The cylinder H8 is a double acting cylinder in that pressure fluid may be introduced at each side of the piston through tubes I28 and I30. When the pushing jaw is moved into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines of Figure 2, the locking latch I will be moved into the unlocking position. When pressure fluid is introduced through the tube I28 the locking latch will be moved into the locking position shown in full lines in Figure 2. The cylinder I20 for operating the pushing jaw has a plunger I32 which is pivotally connected at its outer end to the jaw I22 and is provided with a piston on its inner end. Fluid tubes I34 and I36 are mounted near the opposite ends of the cylinder I20 by which pressure fluid may be introduced on opposite sides of the piston to force the piston back and forth in the cylinder. When pressure fluid is introduced through the tube I36 the pushing jaw will be moved into the position indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2. When pressure fluid is introduced into the cylinder I20 through the tube I34 the jaw I22 will be moved into the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 2. To place the cylinder I20 crating lever I for the valve 1 is supplied simultaneously to both in position for operating the jaw I22 to move it into the position illustrated in dot-and-dash lines. this cylinder is mounted by pivots I 81 in a slide frame I30 (Figure 3) which is slidably mounted between guides I40 secured within the door lifting member 24 to receive guide rails I42 secured to the sides of the slide I38. When the piston in the cylinder II8 moves the pushing Jaw to the position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2.- the slide frame with the cylinder I20 will be moved along with the jaw and when the piston of cylinder H0 is moved back into the position shown in full lines the slide frame with the cylinder I20 will be moved back into the position shown in full lines of Figure 2. It will be understood, however, that when the pushing jaw I22 is moved into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines of Figure 2 for the purpose of engaging the locking latch I 00 to move it from the position shown in dot-and-dash lines to that shown in full lines, the jaw I22 will remain in elevated position until the piston in the cylinder II8 has completed its return stroke and thereafter the jaw will be moved into the lower position illustrated in full lines in Figure 2. At the time that the jaw is moved into lowered position guide roll I44 will roll across the lower end of the lever I04.

The door sealing mechanism is operated by hydraulic fluid pressure which is controlled to actuate the mechanism independently of the operation of the door handling mechanism. The fluid operating mechanism is illustrated more part cuarly in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 9. An operating table I46 is mounted on the car I0 (Figure where an operator operates valves and switches to control all of the operations of the car door handling apparatus and the car I0. A control valve I48 for operation of the door sealing mechanism is positioned on a panel above the operating table I46. The valve I48 is a compound valve which is arranged to direct the pressure fluid to different ends of the cylinders H8 and I20 in accordance with the desire to lock or unlock the door latches I00. An oparm I52 arranged to operate switches I54 for closing a motor circuit I56 (Figure 5) for operating a motor I58. The motor in turn operates a pump I 60 for placing the operating fluid under pressure. The motor and pump are located upon the top of a fluid tank I62, which is positioned on the car I0 (Figure 6). Fluid from the tank flows through a pipe I6 to the pump I60 and then passes through a pipe I66 to the control valve I48. Then, in accordance with the setting of the valve I48, the fluid will pass through lines I68 or I10 to the tubes I30 or I28 respectively on the cylinder II 8. Branch lines I12 and I14 are connected respectively with the line I68 or I10 by which pressure fluid may be conducted to the tubes I30 or I28 on the cylinder II8 for operating the latch at the bottom of the door, it being understood that the pressure fluid cylinders III. The pressure developed on the liquid for driving the pistons may be set to any desired pressure in order to positively and effectively operate the locking latches. This pressure is developed by the pump I60 and when the pressure tends to exceed the pressure setting of the control valve pressure fluid will flow from the line I66 through a bypass line I16, then through a line I18 to return pressure fluid back to the bottom of the tank I62 (Figure 6). Therefore the pump and regulating valve will maintain a predeter- I48 has a switch ures 12 and 13.

the valves I80 exceeds the predetermined pres-- to shut off the fluid pressure.

mined pressure on the fluid in the lines I88 and I10. When the piston in the cylinder III has moved to the end of the cylinder to place the pushing jaw I22 in the position illustrated in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2, the pressure in the cylinder I I8 will tend to build up beyond the predetermined desired pressure. To prevent this pressure from exceeding the predetermined amount, regulating valves I80 are connected with the lines I12 and I14 through lines I82, I80.

I84 and I85 respectively, and thus are subjected to the same pressure which exists in the lines I12 or I14. The-details of construction of the hydraulic regulating valve I86 are shown in Figures 10 and 11. The details of construction of the pressure regulating valves I80 are shown in Fig- When the pressure in either of sure, valves will be shifted in a distributing valve I88 to automatically supply pressure fluid to cylinders I20. -To accomplish this, the pressure fluid in lines I12 or I14 is communicated through lines I88 or I90 .to a line I92 connected to the distributor valve I86. Check valves 1 are mounted in the lines I88 and I90 to direct the pressure fluid into the line I92 in accordance with f the direction of flow of the fluid from the pipes shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figures 2 and 5.

At the time that the pushing jaws have been mally will'move the lever I50 to neutral position If the control lever is not moved by the operator the regulating valve I88 will beshifted to a'position to permit the fluid flowing through the 'line 192 to pass through a line l98which, in turn, is connected with the bypass line I18 so that the supply of pressure fluid will be from the tank through the pump and back to the tank through the bypass line. Since the cylinders H8 and I20 are ,double acting cylinders, they are always filled with pressure fluid. At the time that fluid under pressure is supplied to the line I68 and I12 to move thepistons to the left (Figure pressure fluid will flow through lines I14 and I through valve I48 and bypass lines I16 and I18 back to the tank. When pressure fluid is supplied through the lines I10 and I18 to the tubes I28 on cylinders II 8 fluid on the opposite end of thecylinder will pass through lines I12 and I68 through the valve I48 and then through bypass IE6 and I18 back to the tank I82.

When pressure fluid is supplied through the lines I10 and I14 to the lines I90 and I92 and the pistons in the cylinders II8 have completed their stroke, then the control valve I80 at the left in Figure 5 is operated to introduce pressure fluid through lines 200 and 202 to the left ends of cylinders I (Figure 5). At the time the pistons in the cylinders I20 are being moved to the right (Figure 5) fluid behind the'pistons in the cylinders is forced out through the lines I95 and I96, through valve I86 and then through lines I98 to the exhaust line I18 to return the fluid to the tank I62. v

With the construction outlined above it will be understood that when the control lever I50 is moved to the left, the locking latch levers are shifted by the cylinders I20 the operator normoved to the left (Figureb) When the lever is moved to the right as shown in full lines in Figure 5 the cylinder pistons will be actuated to move "the latch levers to the right. When the pistons in the cylinders I I8 have reached the end of their travel'path, then pressure will tend to build up beyond the predetermined maximum and control valve I80 will be actuated to set the distributing valve I88 to direct fluid to the cylinders I20. Thereupon the pressure fluid will. actuate the pistons in cylinders I20 to set the pushing jaws I22 in position for moving the locking latches in the opposite direction. This completes the operation of the door sealing mechanism and normally the operator would put the actuating lever I80 into neutral position. If it is not moved into neutral position the continued operation of the pump I will merely act to circulate the pressure fluid through the system. After a complete stroke of the piston in the cylinders II8 the pistons in the cylinders I20 are automatically set into operation to set the pushing jaws for the next stroke. For each stroke of the piston in cylinders I I8 the fluid behind the pistons in the cylinders is forced back into the tank I62.

It will be understood also that duringthe time that the door sealing mechanism is being oper-' ated the door is yieldably held in position against the door frame with the sealing edge 98 inyielding engagement with the face of the frame so that the pressure exerted by the cams on the latches I00 will positively lock the doors in a tightly sealed position. After the door locking operation is completed the door head handling mechanism is withdrawn from the door.

The preferred form of the invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the oven by at least one rotatable latch comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door. means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move. said door in or out of said frame, means for pressing said door against the frame, and latch rotating means hydraulically operated independently of and simultaneously with said means for pressing the door against the frame soas to seal or unseal the door in the frame while the door is pressed into the frame.

2. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the oven by at. least one-rotatable latch, said latch having a lever with a cam thereon arranged to engage the door to seal the door in locking position against the frame, comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door, means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame, means .for pressing said door against the frame, latch rotating means having a pushing member adapted to engage the cam lever and including a piston hydraulically operated independently of and simultaneously with said means. for pressing the door against the frame so as to seal or unseal the door in the frame while the door is pressed into the frame, and valve mechanism adapted to feed fluid at a predetermined maximum pressure to said piston when the cam levers are being moved into locking position.

3. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a'frame at the .end of the oven by at least one rotatable latch, said latch having a;- lever with a cam thereon arranged to engage the door to seal the door in locking position against the frame, comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door; means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame; means for pressing said door against the frame; and means adapted to seal or unseal the door in the frame while the door is pressed into the frame including a piston hydraulically operated independently of and simultaneously with said means for pressing the door against the frame, a hooked pushing Jaw movably attached to the piston to engage the cam lever and means to oscillate the pushing jaw at the end of a stroke of the piston into position to engage the cam lever and move the lever in the opposite direction on the next stroke of the piston.

4. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the oven by at least one rotatable latch. said latch having a lever with a cam thereon arranged to engage the door to seal the door in looking position against the frame, comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door; means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame; means for pressing said door against the frame; and latch operating means adapted to seal or unseal the door in the frame while the door is pressed into the frame by moving the cam lever into and out of locking position including a pushing piston hydraulically reoiprocable independently of and simultaneously with said means for pressing the door against the frame, a hooked pushing jaw attached to the pushing piston, a hydraulically operated positioning piston adapted to oscillate the pushing law to set it in position to engage the cam lever for the return stroke of the pushing piston and valve mechanism for admitting fluid to the positioning piston in response to a predetermined pressure on said pushing piston.

5. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the oven by at least one latch movably mounted in the door frame and having a member arranged to engage the door and press it in lookin position comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door, means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame, means for pressing said door against the frame, a reciprocable latch operating means adapted to move the latch member into and out of locking position, said latch operating means being .hydraulically operated independently of atfid simultaneously with said means for pressing e door against the frame and having a pushing jaw to engage the latch member, and

means to set the pushing jaw at the completion of a pushing stroke in position to engage the latch member for unlocking movement in the opposite direction on the next stroke.

6. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the oven by at least one rotatable latch, said latch having a lever with a cam thereon arranged to engage the door to seal the door in locking position against the frame, comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door; means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame; means for pressing said door against the frame; and means adapted to seal or unseal the door in the frame while the door is pressed into the frame by moving the cam lever into and out of locking position including a pushing piston hydraulically operated independently of and simultaneously with said means for pressing the door against the frame, a hooked pushing jaw attached to 'the pushing piston, ahydraulically operated position ing piston adapted to oscillate the pushing jaw to set it in position to engage the cam lever for the return stroke of the pushing piston, a source of fluid maintained under pressure and connected to said pistons through valves adapted to control the flow of fiuid to the pistons so as to cause the latch to move into and out of locking position in the proper sequence.

7. An apparatus for handing a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the oven by at least one latch movably mounted in the door frame and having a member arranged to engage the door and press it in looking position comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door, means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame, means for pressing said door against the fram and a latch operating means adapted to move the latch member into and out of locking position, said latch operating means being hydraulically operated independently of and simultaneously with said means for pressing the door against the frame and including a double acting pushing piston connected with a pushing jaw to engage the latch member, a double acting positioning piston connected with the jaw to set the jaw for engaging said member, fluid supply lines connected with each end of the cylinders of said pistons, a pressure control valve connected to said lines and adapted to divert fluid from the pushing piston to the positioning piston whereby the positioning piston will set the pushing jaw at the completion of each stroke into position to engage the member for movement in the opposite direction on the next stroke.

8. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the oven by at least one latch movably mounted in the door frame and having a member arranged to engage the door and press it in looking position comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door, means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame, means for pressing said door against the frame, and a latch operating means adapted to move the latch member into and out of locking position, said latch operating means being -hydraulically operated independently of and'simultaneously with said means for pressing the door against the frame and including a double acting pushing piston and its cylinder, a latch jaw pivotally attached t0! the pushing piston, a slide connected to and movable with the pushing piston, a hydraulically operated cylinder movably mounted on the slide and having therein a double acting jaw positionin piston that is connected to said jaw, fiuid supply lines connected to each end of said cylinders and having therein valves adapted to control the operation of the pushing and the positioning pistons, and a pressure control valve connected between said supply lines and adapted to divert fluid from the pushing cylinder to the positioning cylinder to set the jaw for the next stroke.

9. An apparatus for handling a coke-oven door adapted to be held in a frame at the end of the i oven by at least one latch movably mounted in the door frame and having a member arranged to engage the door and press it in looking position comprising: support means for firmly supporting said door, means for moving said support means longitudinally so as to move said door in or out of said frame, means for pressing said door against the frame. and a latch operating means adapted to move the latchmember into and out" of locking position, said latch operating means nected to the pushing piston and mounted on the slide, a hydraulically operated cylinder mounted on the slide and having therein a double acting jaw positionin piston that is connected 1 5 to said jaw, fluid supply lines connected to each 7 Patent No. 2,576,1 26

" Certificate of Correction PAUL HOWARD LAVELY end of said cylinders, and manually controllable.

valves in the supply line connections adapted to control the operation or the pistons for a. single stroke in each direction.

P-AUL HOWARD LAVEL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,123,521 Berg July 12, 1938 2,157,567 Potter .May 9, 1939 2,179,608 Berg et al. Nov. 14, 1939 2,335,867 Lavely a Dec. 7, 1943 November 27, 1951 It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 31, before handling insert head; line 53, for pipe 16" read pipe 164;

and that the said Patent should be read as corrected above, so that thesame may conform to the reoordof the case in the Patent Ofliee.

, Signed and sealed this 18th day of March, A. D. 1952.

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

